Profile of a Disability Advocacy Rock Star: Macy Klein Q&A Part 1

Since we’re all held up in our homes, each  doing our part to flatten the curve of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, I thought it would be a good time to (virtually) sit down with my niece Macy out in Omaha, Nebraska, for a good old-fashioned, long-distance, Q&A.

You know the old Army slogan, “we do more before 8 a.m. than most people do all day”. Well when it comes to disability advocacy, my niece Macy Klein has gotten more done before age 16 than most people do in their entire lifetime.

One of her self-described passions centers around the “Inclusion Revolution” and her love for working with students of all ability levels. It started in Omaha, Nebraska at Beadle Middle School with extracurricular clubs and Unified Sports and continued at Millard West High School (where she is currently a sophomore) through after-school clubs like West Friends and Unified Teams for track and basketball. During this same time, she started volunteering every Sunday with Special Musicians, a nonprofit that now has multiple branches around the country. And if that wasn’t enough, she has also volunteered at Nebraska’s Miss Amazing, Rise Up Runway and Special Friends Prom.

At the end of her freshman year, Macy teamed up with her best friend Sophie Ollis, and developed a business plan for a new All Abilities Show Choir. They presented their concept to the Vocal Music Department at Millard West and are looking forward to one day turning their dream into a reality. Once the current COVID-19 crisis is resolved, they plan to continue working on the next steps for “Breaking Barriers”. When I asked Macy how they came up with the concept, she explained, “I am very grateful for programs like Special Olympics, the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities that focuses on the inclusion, empowerment and strength of athletes. However, not everyone enjoys athletic events, and non-sporting inclusive clubs are rare but successful.”

Macy performing with Millard West Show Choir

Their proposed All Abilities Show Choir would bring together general and special education students by enabling them to bond together through the universal language of music. The program would be open to anyone who loves to sing and/or dance, ensuring people of all abilities have the chance to learn from professional teachers and choreographers and perform for an audience.

Special Musicians

Macy went on to explain, “Our primary goal is to enable members with developmental disabilities, physical or intellectual challenges to fully participate in show choir and utilize the power of music and singing to bring out the potential of people with disabilities. Ultimately, a successful experience will change attitudes toward the disabled by eliminating discomfort or awkwardness when partners experience the joy and enthusiasm exhibited by the performers.”

Again, these are a couple of fifteen year-olds, literally doing everything they can to make the world a better place. When I was fifteen, I was coming home from school and eating handfuls of Cap’n Crunch out of the box while binge watching ‘Happy Days’ and ‘Laverne & Shirley’ reruns on WKBD TV 50, so needless to say, all of their efforts have left me feeling more than a little inadequate and I am blown away by all of their passion and initiative.

Here is how the rest of our conversation went:

Chris: What made you first want to start helping individuals with disabilities?

Millard West and Millard North Unified Basketball Scrimmage

Macy: In sixth grade, my middle school offered an option to skip study hall and go to the Alternate Curriculum Program (ACP) classroom during that time period. I decided to try something new and I instantly fell in love. I became good friends with so many of the students in the ACP classroom, enjoying every minute I spent with them. While in Middle School, I saw an online program called “Make Mondays Matter”. I decided to start each week by bringing small gifts to give to all the kids in the ACP program, and I absolutely loved them finding joy in these presents. During this time, I attended Help Us Learn Kindness (H.U.L.K.) Club which integrated students with and without disabilities and joined several Unified Sports teams. My favorite memory in middle school was a basketball game for the Unified team. I had played regular girls basketball in both seventh and eighth grade. We would occasionally have a couple rows of fans watching games in addition to our family members. It was a completely different story during the Unified basketball game…it was standing room only and the stands were packed with cheering fans. They made posters and one of the players, Will, went up and down the side lines and got everyone screaming loudly!! I am so grateful and lucky that I was given the opportunity to help in the ACP classroom in 6th grade, because otherwise my life wouldn’t have been the same!

Chris: What is your favorite thing about working with individuals with disabilities?

Macy: Most people feel empathy, which is how you treat other people, but inclusion takes it one step further and is unquestioned acceptance. I love to use my critical thinking and problem-solving skills to find solutions or explore new areas of interest. When working with students with special needs, I am able to combine all of this together and find ways to engage students with developmental disabilities, physical or intellectual challenges so they can participate in activities such as sports, music or school dances. I believe an inclusive environment in the school setting can give limitless opportunities to those with and without disabilities.

Chris: For the non-profit that you’d like to start up, what is unique about your concept that you feel could potentially be a game changer in terms of the way we serve individuals with disabilities?

Macy: So many of my friends have a passionate connection to music. Yet, not everyone is given the opportunity to show off and demonstrate their abilities’ musically. Regardless of ability, almost every kid can have so much fun dancing and need ways to express themselves. I believe this is a perfect opportunity for all kids, some of which might not be interested in athletic events, to let loose and have fun showcasing their abilities in show choir. The show choir community in general is already so open and accepting. Our proposed All Abilities Show Choir can help make the world a more inclusive place by allowing performers and partners to work together and touch the heart and soul of everyone involved.

Chris: What do you think is most fulfilling about working with individuals with disabilities?

Beadle Middle School Unified Track End of Season Celebration

Macy: The most fulfilling part of it for me would be seeing how much I can impact their lives. Something as simple as a smile, saying hello, or giving them a compliment lights up their faces. But, just being able to have amazing friends that I can always have a good laugh with is so meaningful to my life as well, and I hope it has a similar impact on theirs too. Plus, many of my friends love to hug. It’s the best feeling in the world to have them wrap you up tightly in their arms and everything else that’s going on in your world just melts away and you live in that moment…just grateful that they share their joy with you!

Chris: What about your experiences working with the disability community do you think would be important for people reading this blog to understand?

Macy: I think the most common misconception is that they need to be treated differently. Even people who are not able to communicate verbally can still hear you, which means you should still try to talk to them. People in the disability community should be treated and talked to according to their age. They are interested in the same things as everyone else…makeup, clothes, music, dancing, etc. They shouldn’t be talked to like a baby, and you shouldn’t treat them differently, you should give them the same amount of trust and respect you would give to any other person. The last thing I will say without going on a complete rant would be that the “R” word and any other discriminatory language is absolutely unacceptable, whether you are talking straight to the person, about them, or even over social media. It is so offensive. Words are powerful so just don’t use the word. It’s not that hard. It’s easy to make the change to People First language. It’s not a “Down’s Kid” – the correct way is to say “a student (or insert name) with down syndrome, etc.”  They are a person first and the disability should not define them. If you focus on the person, not the disability, it is easy to celebrate strengths and diversity in your thoughts, words and actions.

Read the rest of our conversation here.